FIANNA FÁIL and the Greens have focused to date on areas where there is broad agreement during negotiations on the new Programme for Government and have “parked” more contentious policy areas until the later stages of talks, according to several sources familiar with the process.
Discussions between the parties will resume this morning following four hours of further talks on Saturday.
Both parties have reported progress, but it is understood that some of the more significant issues are awaiting input from other members of Cabinet.
While neither Fianna Fáil nor the Greens are willing to discuss specifics on the basis of nothing being agreed until everything is agreed, it is understood that education is a red-line issue for the Greens.
The party negotiators are looking for this sector to be protected in the budget ahead of the special meeting of the party’s members next Saturday, where a two-thirds majority will be required to approve the new programme, otherwise the Greens may be forced to resign from Government.
“It’s absolutely clear that if education is not prioritised it will not just be turned down by the members, it will also be turned down by the Greens’ parliamentary party ahead of it,” said one source.
This weekend the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin, and Green Party leader John Gormley both expressed confidence that an agreement could be reached.
Mr Gormley accepted that there were major hurdles, and predicted that the talks could continue until late on Friday.
“The atmosphere seems to be cordial, and I’m hopeful that we can reach a conclusion as soon as possible. We have to sell this agreement to our party members and we need a two-thirds majority,” said Mr Gormley.
He acknowledged that there were “sticking points”, but said he was not going to get into specifics.
“I am genuinely encourage by the soundings I am getting. That can change. There are always difficulties.”
Speaking on RTÉ's This Weekyesterday, Mr Martin refuted the notion that the Green Party was "holding a gun to anybody's head".
“I have found that the Green Party is a very policy-focused party. There are different strands to the movement and they have different emphases.”
He also said it was not his view that the Greens would pull the plug on the Government.
“My view is if there was ever a time for the Green Party to be in government, it is now. It’s the sustainable energy era, and it’s the era of climate change.”
Asked about difficulties that some Fianna Fáil backbenchers might have with specific items in the Greens’ position paper, notably a ban on hare coursing, Mr Martin said: “Our negotiations are well attuned to the needs of parliamentary party members within Fianna Fáil.”
He said he was hopeful a deal could be done.
Some six hours of talks are expected today between the negotiation teams.
Noel Dempsey, Mary Hanafin and Dermot Ahern are representing Fianna Fáil, while Eamon Ryan, Dan Boyle and Mary White represent the Greens.
The Green Party position paper published in The Irish Timeslast week included demands for electoral reform, tax increases, a ban on hare coursing and a universal healthcare system.
Fianna Fáil has also presented a series of position papers, as has the Minister for Health Mary Harney, who is now an Independent TD.